Pinch Me
by Caro-chan
Summary: A kind-of response to Cherry Blossom's Songfic Challenge #2. I know, it's not one of the songs Cherry suggested, but it *is* Barenaked Ladies, so I figured it'd be alright. ^_^ DxH, cuz I can't get enough of them! Kinda silly, kinda mushy. Please R


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Pinch Me

Copyright Jan. 2001, Purple Hays Publishing Co.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, its characters, McDonald's, or Barenaked Ladies' "Pinch Me", and I don't claim to. All I own is this story. (Although I wish I owned Duo. ^_^) Also, no flies were harmed during the writing of this fanfic.

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Bzzzz... bzzzz...SMACK!!

Duo groaned as he pulled his arm back under the warm comforter of his bed. "Darn flies..." he muttered. He rolled back over onto his side, but not before getting a peek at the alarm clock residing next to his bed. "Mmmmmph... 4:50... why do I bother trying to sleep?" He rolled his eyes, looking instead at the tiny girl... no, woman sleeping beside him.

She may not have been considered a beauty in anyone else's eyes, but to Duo, she was perfection in every sense of the word. Small, but strong, she managed to pull Duo into her soul and never let go. And, to tell the truth, Duo never wanted her to let go. Hilde was the only reason he even bothered to stay in this miserable town.

No matter how hard he tried, no matter how hard Hilde begged, Duo just couldn't come to like this town. It was small, a little grungy, a little backwater, but Hilde loved it. She had friends she didn't want to leave. So they stayed. But it was not an arrangement Duo totally agreed with. It was one of those towns where everyone knew everyone else. Where you could walk into the nearest cafe, and the waitress would know exactly what you wanted before you could even tell her. If anything funny, or serious, or important, or sad happened to you, everyone would know about it by sundown. The perfect town. It made Duo want to gag.

He rolled back over again to check the clock. 5:07. He sighed. "Well, no point in laying around for three more hours..." He gave Hilde one last look, then dragged himself up out of bed.

It's the perfect time of year 

Somewhere far away from here 

I feel fine enough, I guess 

Considering everything's a mess 

There's a restaurant down the street

Where hungry people like to eat 

I could walk but I'll just drive 

It's colder than it looks outside

Duo staggered slowly into the living room of the apartment he shared with Hilde. It was small, but that didn't matter for only two people who didn't mind sharing a bedroom. After picking up a few pillows left on the floor from the night before, he wandered into the kitchen, cringing when his bare feet touched the cold linoleum floor. He yanked open cupboard doors until he found a large mixing bowl and a box of Cheerios. He dumped half the box of cereal into the bowl, then rummaged in the fridge for a carton of milk. After he had thoroughly soaked the entire bowl, he left the empty carton on the counter and walked back to the living room, sloshing milk and cereal to the floor as he walked. "Mmmmph... better clean that up later".

He flopped onto the couch, spilling more of his breakfast as he set it on the coffee table. He reached down underneath the couch cushions for the remote, then flipped on the TV. "Mmmmph... infomercial... infomercial... infomercial... nothing's ever on TV when I want to watch it". He finally settled on an infomercial about male pattern baldness and dug into his Cheerios.

After inhaling his breakfast, Duo brushed his teeth and put on his traditional outfit of black pants, red shirt. He brushed out his hair and rebraided it, since it had become a little frazzled after the past night's festivities. He blew one last kiss to Hilde, who was still asleep, and headed out for the salvage yard.

__

Like a dream you try to remember but it's gone 

Then you try to scream but it only comes out as a yawn 

When you try to see the world beyond your front door 

Take your time is the way I rhyme gonna make you smile 

When you realize that a guy my size might take a while 

Just to try to figure out what all this is for 

Mitch looked up from his paperwork to see Duo slouching in the door. "Duo! Why are you here so early? My shift's not over for another couple of hours!"

Duo rolled his eyes at the overly peppy night watchman. "Yeah, well, I didn't feel like sitting around home any longer".

Mitch raised his eyebrows, then nodded, a smirky grin spreading across his wide face, making it look even wider. "Ahh, I get it. The little woman's not cooperating, is she?"

Duo whipped around to stare at him, his deep purple eyes glowing. "Look, _Mitch_, I don't know why you're taking such in interest in my personal matters all of a sudden, but I wish you'd just butt out and mind your own business". He turned on his heel and marched angrily out the back door.

"I'll talk to ya later!" Mitch called after him before the door slammed shut.

"Annoying, nosy little son-of-a..." Duo fumed as he rummaged through his stack of orders. 23 in all. "Well, better get going on these before more come in..." He walked out back to the scrap yard, papers clutched in hand. The sun had just risen only moments before, bathing the scrap yard in ethereal light. If the yard hadn't been filled with rusting piles of metal, and Duo had been in a better mood, he would have found the morning quite pretty. Instead, he grumbled, "Sun's too bright... never had to worry about that back on L2."

L2. Duo's home colony. Where he wished every minute of every day he could be, knowing that it was impossible. That is, it was impossible if he wanted to stay with Hilde. She had hated the colony. Too many bad memories of her past. Duo had to admit he could relate, but he still couldn't help but feel that something was missing from his life here on Earth that he couldn't quite put a finger on. Maybe it was the bustling metropolis of the city. Maybe it was the anonymity he could always count on when he wanted to be alone. Or maybe he just enjoyed breathing artificial air pumped in from the gigantic tanks brought from Earth. Either way, he wished he was home, back on his little colony, working for Howard, earning next to nothing and not giving a sniff about it, where no one knew your name unless you made a point of it.

It's the perfect time of day 

To throw all your cares away 

Put the sprinkler on the lawn 

And run through with my gym shorts on 

Take a drink right from the hose 

And change into some drier clothes 

Climb the stairs up to my room 

Sleep away the afternoon 

The day crawled slowly but surely onward, and Duo's mood very quickly went from grumpy to downright pissed off. It finally got around to lunchtime, and Duo walked, alone, down to the corner coffee shop where he ate every day.

"Hiya, Duo!" the waitress cooed from behind the counter.

"Hey, Jen" Duo mumbled in reply. He plunked himself down in the corner window booth and picked up his menu. He wished with all his might that someday, this puny little town would get a McDonalds, but he doubted it.

Jen waddled up to Duo's table. "So, sugah, whatcha want today? Oh, wait, let me guess... you want the chili, right? And a cup a' joe? Alright, I'll be right back", and she waddled away.

Duo had to admit he was leaning towards the chili, but it severely ticked him off when she did that. He groaned loudly, letting his head drop to the tabletop with a sickening thud.

As he sat there like that, smelling the ground-in food stains of the table, a lot of things began running through his head, all at once. How did he end up in this little waste-of-a-town in the first place? Yeah, Hilde wanted to leave the colonies, yeah, Hilde's parents were originally from this area, yeah, Hilde wanted to feel some small-town charm instead of big-city formality, but... _why?_ Sometimes, for a fleeting moment, Duo would wish he was back on the colonies, living with Hilde, hiding his Deathscythe-Hell in the nearest garage, fighting off the White Fang, and living a life where he wasn't sure what the next day would bring. That anticipation, that danger, was what Duo truly missed. He certainly didn't miss the war; he had had enough of killing innocent people. He was no longer the Shinigami of his teenaged years. But the excitement of battle, allying himself with his friends, fighting evil for the good of the Earth Sphere; that was what he missed. And he would give almost anything to get those days back again. That was the problem. He was willing to give anything... except Hilde.

He loved Hilde. She meant the world to him. He would die for her, if he had to. He almost did, when he saved her from the Mercurious and Vayete. And he would do it again, a million times over, if she asked him to. He was even willing to live in this miserable town for her. But it was slowly ripping him apart. He hadn't seen Heero, Trowa, Quatre, or Wufei in years. Sure, he'd seen them on the news, or in the paper, but not in real life. Much as he hated to admit it, he missed his old war buddies. After the Mariemeia incident, they had all joined the Preventers. It wasn't nearly as exciting as actual combat, but at least it came close. The problem was, Duo had been stationed on L2, and Hilde wanted more than anything to get out of there. Since there were no other positions open at the time, Duo had quit, and they had moved to this little town. That was two years ago. Two years since he had seen, or even talked on the phone, with any of his old friends. And as far as he could see, it would stay that way for a long time to come.

Like a dream you try to remember but it's gone 

Then you try to scream but it only comes out as a yawn 

When you try to see the world beyond your front door 

Take your time is the way I rhyme gonna make you smile 

When you realize that a guy my size might take a while 

Just to try to figure out what all this is for 

A loud thump of glass on Formica brought him to his senses. "You know, Duo, you look a little tired. Maybe you should take a day off". Duo lifted his head to find Jen, her pudgy face only inches from his, studying him closely. 

Duo discretely wiggled over a little in his seat. "Uh, I'm fine, really Jen, don't worry about it". 

She stood up and smiled a large, toothy grin. "That's good to know. Enjoy your chili!", and she waddled off, whistling a nameless tune. Duo stared at his chili bowl, all of a sudden not feeling too hungry. He pitched a couple of dollars on the table and sidled out the door, hands in his pockets.

Pinch me, pinch me, cause I'm still asleep 

Please God tell me that I'm still asleep 

When the sun was just about to drop below the horizon, Duo sauntered out of the salvage building. He usually walked from work to home, since they were only about a quarter mile apart. As he walked, Mitch passed him in his car, waving furiously at him. Duo replied with a slight tilt of his head and continued walking. He got home to find an empty house and a note.

Duo, 

How come you left without saying goodbye this morning? I missed you. I hope you're not angry. I went out for awhile with Denise, we should be back around 8:30. There's a cold plate in the fridge for your supper. Luv ya, 

Hilde

Duo groaned. Denise was their next-door neighbor, and if it was possible, he loathed her even more than Jen. Nosy, pushy, and very, very loud. He had to admit she was generous, though. When they had moved in, she had baked them a pie, a cake, some cookies, and made them dinner for the first two weeks. At first he was a little flattered, until he realized it was only so she could find out every little detail about them, and have an excuse to come over and help them unpack. Still, she was Hilde's best friend, which made him obligated to be nice to her, or else it was a long night on the couch for him.

He pulled the plate out of the fridge. A cold chicken breast and some grapes. Yay. He began pulling apart the chicken with his fingers as he made his way to the couch. He flipped on a basketball game, and quickly became absorbed in it, screaming at it when the refs made a bad call. After finishing his dinner and seeing his team lose for the third game in a row, he turned the TV off and curled up for a nap.

On an evening such as this 

It's hard to tell if I exist 

Pack the car and leave this town 

Who'll notice that I'm not around 

I could hide out under there 

I just made you say "underwear" 

I could leave but I'll just stay 

All my stuff's here anyway 

Hilde looked at her watch. 10:24. "Man, Duo's gonna be steamed I'm so late" she thought to herself. She looked out the car window at the houses moving past her. She and Denise had gone to MacDougall's Pub for a baby shower, but now it was really late, and she was ready to go home. She turned back to her friend, who had been talking about the party, even though Hilde hadn't really been listening.

"...and those booties! How adorable! I mean, pink is just too cute! What do you think, Hilde?" Denise asked.

"What? Oh... yeah... pink..." Hilde replied, and she rested her chin in her hand.

Denise frowned at her, then pulled the car over. "Hilde, something's eating you, I can tell. What's up?"

Hilde sighed quietly. "I dunno... I'm just worried about Duo, I guess. He's been way too quiet lately..."

Denise chuckled. "And that's a bad thing?"

Hilde smiled. "Come on now, be nice. It's not like him to be this way". Her smile faded and she turned to look out the window again. "He leaves in the morning without saying goodbye, he come home at night without saying hello. He never wants to go out anymore. Even at night he's just… quiet. I don't know if it's me, or what. It's tearing me apart to see him so depressed, but he refuses to tell me why". A tear threatened to roll down her cheek, but she quickly brushed it away. "Maybe I'm just overreacting, but..."

Denise reached over and patted her on the shoulder. "Seems to me your man's just got a serious case of the blahs. He's bored with this happy, cliché lifestyle. I've seen it before. You just gotta talk to him, make sure he knows ya love him. Maybe take him on a trip or something. What about those friends of his up in space?"

Hilde gasped softly. "Of course! He misses his friends! Why didn't I think of that before!?"

Denise smiled and turned the car back on again. "Try it out. You'll see".

Hilde smiled warmly, then gave her a hug. "Thank you".

Like a dream you try to remember but it's gone 

Then you try to scream but it only comes out as a yawn 

When you try to see the world beyond your front door 

Take your time is the way I rhyme gonna make you smile 

When you realize that a guy my size might take a while 

Just to try to figure out what all this is for 

Hilde opened the door to find Duo zonked out on the couch, snoring quietly. She smiled slightly and walked over to him. She leaned over the back of the couch and brushed her lips against his cheek. His eyes opened slowly, searching the room until they settled on Hilde. "Hey, babe". He sat up and turned his head around to look at her.

Hilde kneeled on the floor and wrapped her arms around him from behind. She leaned her head against his back as she said, "Duo, please tell me. What's bothering you?"

Duo, whose eyes had closed happily, opened them slowly and clutched her hands to his chest. "Just restless, babe", he answered quietly.

Hilde stood and walked around to the front of the couch. She sat next to him and hugged him to her. "Nothing else?"

"Nothing else".

She lifted her head to look into his eyes, tears beginning to form behind hers. "Duo, I'm sorry. I'm sorry..."

He took her chin between his fingers and pulled her face a little closer to his. "For what?"

"For making you come here… for making you leave your friends… your home… your past…"

Duo smiled at her, his eyes explaining to her what words could never do justice. "Hilde, I'd send my soul to Hell if it meant I could stay with you".

The tears that Hilde was trying valiantly to hold back finally won over and spilled down her pale cheeks. "Duo... arigato".

He pulled her the rest of the way to him, but before meeting her lips with his, he whispered, "Aishiteru".

The kiss began slowly, but soon escalated. They pulled closer as they poured their souls into each other. As Duo picked her up and led her to their bed, he couldn't resist adding in one last comment: "You're a lot sexier than that Jen lady, ya know that?"

Pinch me 

Try to figure out what all this is for 

Pinch me 

Try to see the world beyond your front door 

Pinch me 

Try to figure out what all this is for 

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Author's Note: Yay! I finally found enough time to write another fic! (Thank God for snow days ^_^) So whatcha think? Good? Bad? Pointless? Plotless? Let me know! I love constructive criticism, so lay it on me! By the way, I don't care if you read this three minutes or three months after I post it, review it anyway! I like feedback. Thanks a lot you guys! Bows deeply


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